Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5O-01238

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it plans to the next BT contract for 100% access to superfast broadband by 2021.

Question reference: S5W-10851

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09491 by Kevin Stewart on 7 June 2017, what information it has regarding how many complaints about unauthorised waste and recycling sites have been (a) raised and (b) investigated by Aberdeenshire Council in each of the last 10 years; how many of these (i) were upheld and (ii) remain unresolved; what the average time taken was to resolve a complaint, and how many resulted in (A) retrospective planning applications and (B) fines, broken down by the average size of fine.

Question reference: S5W-10701

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 29 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what NHS (a) guidelines and (b) targets there are regarding treating (i) children and young people and (ii) adults who have eating disorders

Clinicians and other health and social care professionals will take account of all relevant evidence based guidance as appropriate. This will include guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence such as guideline NG69 Eating disorders: recognition and treatment. Guidance on the treatment of eating disorders in Scotland includes:

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Recommendations for Management and treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland (2006) (http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/previous_resources/best_practice_statement/eating_disorders_in_scotland.aspx)

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Eating Disorders in Scotland A Patient’s Guide (2007)

(http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/previous_resources/best_practice_statement/eating_disorders_-_guide.aspx)

Royal College of Psychiatrists Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa – for Young People (2012)

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/usefulresources/publications/collegereports/cr/cr168.aspx)

Royal College of Psychiatrists Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa – for Adults (2^nd Edition 2014)

(http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/CR189_a.pdf)

In respect of targets, there are no specific targets for the treatment of people with an eating disorder.

Currently within Scotland data is published on a quarterly basis on the number of patients receiving treatment against the waiting time standard of 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies; and the number of children and young people receiving treatment against the waiting times standard of 18 weeks referral to treatment for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This standard covers treatment across the range of mental health services and the quarterly data reports are published online at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Publications/ .

A wider review that has been undertaken across health services to look at how targets and indicators for health and social care align with the Government’s strategy for the future of the NHS and social care services and support the best use of public resources. Sir Harry Burns is the independent Chair of a National Review of Targets and Indicators for Health and Social Care, and we expect to see Sir Harry’s report published around the end of August.

Question reference: S5W-10700

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the three-day course at Moray College in life skills for people with learning difficulties is to end.

Question reference: S5W-10529

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01184 by Angela Constance on 28 June 2017, what steps are being taken to (a) identify and (b) establish suitable Gypsy/Traveller sites to assist this group to integrate into communities and wider society.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to produce a Local Housing Strategy that sets out their strategy, priorities and plans for delivering housing and related services. Strategies should include plans for meeting any Gypsy/Traveller housing needs in an authority’s area. Where necessary, authorities should provide Gypsy/Traveller sites in line with their strategies.

The Scottish Government recognises the contribution that Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller communities have made to our national life. It will publish a strategic programme of work in Autumn 2017, which will describe all the relevant policies across the Scottish Government that help to secure improved outcomes for Gypsy/Travellers.

Question reference: S5W-10511

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many road traffic accidents involving cyclists have been recorded in each of the last five years; how many of the cyclists involved were wearing a (a) helmet, (b) high-visibility jacket and (c) both at the time of the incivent, and what its position is introducing legislation regarding wearing such safety equipment.

We do not hold information on whether pedal cyclists involved in injury road accidents were wearing high-visibility jackets. However, since 2013 Transport Scotland has collected information on whether injured cyclists were wearing helmets or not. Figures for 2016 are provisional and final figures will be released in October 2017.

The following table shows the number of accidents where pedal cyclists were involved over the last five years:

Injury road accidents involving pedal cyclists


Year	Number
2012	927
2013	910
2014	913
2015	816
2016¹	802

1. Provisional

Of the pedal cyclists who were injured in those accidents, the following table shows the number of casualties who were wearing or not wearing a cycle helmet:

Pedal cyclists injured in road accidents, whether wearing a helmet


	2013	2014	2015	2016¹
Yes	381	473	422	387
No	233	200	179	178
Not known	271	221	196	224
Total	885	894	797	789

1. Provisional

Safety for all road users is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. However, we have said for many years now that the wearing of helmets and high visibility clothing is up to the individual, as it is in other parts of the United Kingdom, and we have no plans to legislate for these changes. We do, however, promote the use of correctly fitted helmets, encourage cyclists to be as visible as possible to all other road users, especially in the hours of darkness or in bad light, and of course, the use of reflectors and lights on bikes are already in legislation and therefore it is against the law to ride a bike without lights and reflectors at night time.

Question reference: S5W-10235

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no minutes of meetings of the National Advisory Committee on Stroke have been publicly available since 2005.

Question reference: S5O-01184

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is introducing to help integrate minority community groups into wider society.

The Scottish Government is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities where everyone enjoys the opportunity to flourish. Integration is a long-term and two-way process, and we are very clear that it is not something that can or should be ‘done to’ people. It needs people and communities to be involved, and to take steps which will enable everyone to be active citizens. We are taking forward a range of approaches - like implementing the Race Equality Framework and developing a refreshed New Scots refugee strategy - to ensure this, and today I had the pleasure to visit Fife Migrant Forum to hear about their important work as well as announce over £20m funding for the next year to promote equality and cohesion across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-09635

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it utilises Blood Bikes Scotland in the transportation of blood and tissue samples, and what plans NHS Scotland has to increase its involvement.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is the specialist provider of blood, tissues and cell products in Scotland. They provide a free delivery service to hospitals 24 hours a day every day of the year. Therefore they do not use Blood Bikes Scotland.

It is a matter for individual NHS Boards to consider whether they enter into an agreement with Blood Bikes Scotland or a similar organisation to transport medical supplies between NHS facilities in their area. The Board would have to be content that the organisation met the relevant regulatory and safety requirements.

Question reference: S5W-09457

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities on procedures for parents or guardians to remove their children from primary school, other than submitting a placing request.

This question has been answered on the basis that the situation being referred to is the removal of a child from school for the purpose of providing alternative means of education.

It is the legal responsibility of every parent to provide efficient education to all of their children who are of school age. The education must be suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude and may be delivered either by sending the child to a public school or by other means. The other means would include home education.

If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from education being provided by their local authority, they must seek, in accordance with Section 35 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (the 1980 Act), the authority’s consent before doing so. If a child has attended a local authority school and the parent requests to withdraw the child to home educate them it is the duty of the local authority to consider such requests and approval should not be unduly withheld. However consent by the local authority is not needed in a number of situations including if the child has never attended a public school in that authority’s area.

However, should the question relate to removal for unspecified reasons often referred to as an unauthorised absence you may find the Scottish Government publication Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: attendance in Scottish schools provides guidance to schools and local authorities on how to promote engagement and motivation, including among those who may be at risk of poor attendance.

It is up to education authorities to decide what sanctions, if any, they will use if there is an unauthorised absence.